PROJECT SUMMARY Diabetes research is recognized as one of the two strategic areas in the Research Strategic Plan of The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (OUHSC). The major goal of this COBRE is to increase the critical mass of diabetes researchers and improve infrastructure for diabetes research at OUHSC. Our long-term goal is to apply for a NIH P30 Diabetes Research Center (DRC). In the past nine years of COBRE support, we have closely worked with the Harold Hamm Diabetes Center and reached our milestones of Phase I and Phase II. The COBRE has incubated eight NIH R01 grants, two R21s and multiple grants from research foundations such as the American Diabetes Association and the American Heart Association. The Junior Investigators supported by the COBRE have published 207 peer-reviewed papers. Five of the Junior Investigators supported by the COBRE have been promoted to Associate Professors. In addition, the COBRE has recruited four NIH-funded diabetic researchers into OUHSC. The Administrative Core has played a central role in leading COBRE operations and contributed to these achievements. The major goal of this Core in Phase III is to further expand these successes and assist the research Cores to become sustainable research facilities supported by a combination of user fees and institutional resources. In Phase III, the Administrative Core will continue to provide central management of the entire COBRE and coordinate COBRE activities and interactions among all of the COBRE components. The Administrative Core will also facilitate interactions of the Diabetes COBRE with other COBREs and research Centers at OUHSC and throughout the State of Oklahoma. This Core will make an effort to improve the diabetes research environment and facilitate collaborations in diabetes research. This Core will promote resource and data sharing strategies and ensure compliance with human subjects, vertebrate animals and biosafety regulations. This Core will greatly facilitate the continuous growth of the COBRE to achieve its goals.